The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1887-05-21
Washington Letter.

Editor Collar Chronicle:
Thursday, May 18th, 1887, the Sec
| ond day of the annual reunion of the
Army Of the Cumberland was an event.
full one, both in the history of that or
ganization, and in the history of Wash
ington, as the day upon which the
bronze statue of Garfield donated by
the Army of Cumberland was formally
presented to the people of the Nation.
The day was a perfect specimen of
Washington spring weather. At an
early hour in the morning small de-
tachments of troops. militia and other
organizations that were to participate
in the parade took possession of the
streets, and the music OF bands was
heard in every quarter. At noon the
executive departments were closed and
added their quota to the throngs on
the sidewalks. The proceedings at
tending the unveling of the statue were
interesting and largely attended. The
Grafton was delivered by Gen. j. w.
Keifer, whou upon the part of the mon
ument committee of the Army of the
Cumberland, transferred the statue to
Gen. Sheridan, as General OF the Army,
and by him it was formally presented
to the President of the United States.
The statue, which is a bronze, is the
design of the sculptor Ward who
also designed the equestrian statue of
Gen. Thomas, in this city. 1t is 10
feet 6 inches in height and Represents
Garfield facing the west, in the act of
delivering an address, with his right
hand resting on a column and manu-
script held in his left. The pose of the
figure is easy and unconventional.
Recumbent ideal figures at each corner
of tile triangular pedestal represent
the student, the warrior and the states
man, stypifying the three epochs in
Gen. Garfield's career. Bronze tablets
above the figures bear globe, q
trumpet and sword and laurel wreath,
inclosing the scales of justice. The
inscriptions upon the shaft are placed
upon three sides, as follows: South
west face "James A. Garfield, 1881
1885," on the southeast face, "Major
General u. s. A., Member of Congress,
Senator and President of the United
States of American" on the north face,
Erected by his Comrades of the Socie-
| ty of the Army of the Cumberland,
May IL, 1887" The erection of tho
statue was authorized at the meeting
of the society at Chattanooga in 1881,
and nine members were appointed To
select a design and superintend it's
construction. The committee upon tue
day of the unwilling paid over to the
sculptor, Mr.. Ward, $56,745 in full
settlement of his claim.
! Preparations for the national drill
have been about completed, and the
committee have received notice that
several of the visiting companies will
arrive in the city and 60 into camp
during the present week.
The city has been flooded during the
past few days with counterfeit silver
dollars of the issue of 1884. The coun-
terfeit is considered to be one of the
best that has heretofore been detected.
The size, and general appearance Of
the counterfeit is identical with that
of the genuine coin, and the ''ring," il
80 perfect as to deceive an expert
The weight of the counterfeit is slight
| ly below the standard, and it is by
this alone that the fraud may be de-
/ tected. Where these coins came from
or how many of them have been put
into circulation, is mystery which az
yet has not been solved. A large num-
Der of merchants land other business
men have been deceived by the coins
and in one instance sixty five of the
counterfeit dollars were taken in by Q
prominent merchant on Seventh etreei
before the fraud was detected. II.